Railway hopper car



April 9 w. E. WINE 2,197,443

RAILWAY HOPPER CAR Filed lay 12, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 mzmh'm 93woim'huilt April 16, 1940. w. E. WINE RAILWAY HOPPER CAR Filed May 12,1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Apr. 16, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICERAILWAY HOPPER CAR William E. Wine, Toledo, Ohio Application May 12,1936, Serial No. 79,361

6 Claims.

My invention relates to railway hopper cars and more particularly toimprovements in the body bolsters of such cars.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a body bolsterpartly of cast metal and partly of sheet metal, which possessessubstantially the same strength and rigidity as a bolster formedentirely of cast metal but which is less expensive than such bolstersand is more adaptable to the many different designs of railway carconstruction.

A primary feature of the invention consists in providing a railwayhopper car with a body bolster having substantially vertical platesarranged on opposite sides of the center sill of the car and a castmetal member disposed above the center sill for connecting the plates,the cast metal member being provided with a base overlappingly securedto the top of the center sill and with portions projecting laterally ofthe sill overlappingly secured to the plates.

Another feature of the invention consists in providing the cast metalmember of the body bolster with portions extending transversely of thecenter sill and with portions extending longitudinally thereof, wherebyangularly disposed portions of each of the plate members of the bolstermay be rigidly secured thereto.

Another feature of the invention consists in providing the plate membersof the body bolster with reinforcing members which extend upwardly fromadjacent the side bearing wear plates of the bolster and are securedadjacent their upper ends to the outer ends of the cast metal member.

Other and more specific features of the invention, residing inadvantageous forms, combinations and relations of parts, willhereinafter appear and be pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, illustrating a preferred embodiment of the invention,

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of the major portion of a railwayhopper car, the body bolster being shown in side elevation.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view of the hopper caradjacent the body bolster, the floor of the car being omitted and thebolster being seen in plan.

Figures 3, 4 and 5 are vertical sectional views taken on lines 3-3, 4-4and 5-5, respectively, of Figure 1.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, I designates the centersill which is of the integral type having a top wall 2 and side walls 3which terminate in laterally projecting flanges 4. This particular typeof center sill has been chosen for;

illustrative purposes only and it will, of course, be understood thatthe invention is not limited in its use to cars having such sills.

The body bolster consists in the main of two substantially verticalplates 5 arranged on opposite sides of the center sill and a cast metalmember 6 which is disposed above the center sill and rigidly connectsthe plates.

Each of the plates is preferably secured at its outer end to an adjacentinside side stake l of the car side and along its upper edgeit is formedwith an inclined flange 8 for connection to the inclined floor 9 of thecar. The top flange 8 may; if desired, be directly secured to theinclined floor or, instead, it may, as shown, be secured to a metalstrip H) which extends continuously from one side of the car to theother and is, in turn, rigidly secured to the car floor. Extending alongopposite sides of the lower edge of each of the the other beneath thecenter sill and is connected at its outer ends to the side sills i3.

The inner end of each plate 5 is preferably olfset to provide flangedportions l5 and i6, respectively, the portion I5 being rigidly securedto an adjacent side 3 of the center sill and the portion l5 extendingabove the top of the sill. While it may be desirable in some cases tolaterally offset the flanged portions [5 and iii of each plate one fromthe other or to dispose them in divergent planes, it is preferable thatthey be disposed, as shown, in the same vertical plane so as toconstitute one continuous and uninterrupted flange.

The cast metal member 6, which is interposed between the center sill andthe inclined floor 9 of the car andsupportingly cooperates with thelatter is formed with a main web or plate-like portion ll havingportions i8, preferably of substantially triangular shape, projectinglaterally. beyond the sides of the center sill and respectively securedin overlapping relation to adjacent portions of the plates 5. Along itsupper edge, the Web I! is formed with an inclined flange [9, the centralportion of which is secured directly to the strip Ill and the endportions of which, in addition to being secured to the strip Ii aresecured to adjacent portions of the flanges 8 of the plates 5.

tegrally with the base 20 which extends between the inner ends of theplates 5 and is overlappingly secured to the top wall 2 of the centersill on 0pposite sides of the web. In vertical alignment with theadjacent center or king pin (not shown) of the car, the base 20 as wellas the top wall of the center sill may advantageously be apertured, asindicated at 2|, to receive the reciprocating element of a controldevice of an empty-load brake mechanism, such as shown in my copendingapplication Serial No. 45,665, filed October 18, 1935, the centralportion of the web H being formed with an enlarged opening 22 in whichthe device may be conveniently mounted.

Projecting from one side of the web I! in a direction longitudinal ofthe center sill are laterally spaced preferably triangularly shapedportions or walls 23 afiording means to which the flanged portions I6 ofthe plates 5 are rigidly secured. The downwardly inclined edges of thewalls 23 may be formed with inturned flanges 24 which are integrallyconnected. at their lower ends by a substantially vertical flange 25extending upwardly from the base 2i inwardly of itsinner edge. It will,of course, be appreciated that, in addition to providing means to whichthe flanged inner ends of the bolster plates are rigidly secured, thewalls 23 function as struts resisting overturning moments to which thebody bolster is subjected by bufling and draft forces imparted to thecenter sill.

To reinforce the bolster against forces transmitted from the sidebearings (not shown) of the car to the side bearing wear plates 26secured to the bottom of the bolster, each of the plates 5 is providedon opposite sides with suitably shaped members, such as angle bars 21,to the lower ends of which are connected brackets 28. Each of thesebrackets is provided with a web portion 29 secured to the associatedplate 5 in overlapping relation to the flange of the adjacentreinforcing angle 27 and with laterally spaced flanges 30 connected attheir lower ends .by a base portion 3| secured to the bottom flange ofthe adjacent angle l I, one of the flanges 30 being riveted to theoutstanding flange of the adjacent reinforcing angle 21.

One of the angles 21, preferably the one disposed on the side of theplate 5 opposite the side on which the web I! is disposed, is rigidlyconnected to the adjacent outer end of the web l1, so that forces towhich the side bearing wear plates are subjected will be transmitteddirectly to the cast member 6 of the bolster. Each outer portion of theweb I! to which the angles '2! are connected may be advantageouslyrigidifled by angularly disposed flanges 32 and 33 which intersect ashort distance below the inclined top flange I9 and continue downwardlyas a single flange 34 along the adjacent marginal edge of the Web,merging at its lower end with the base 20.

From the foregoing, it will be perceived that a composite body bolsterof simple and rugged construction has been devised. Moreover, the designof the bolster is such that it is capable of being used as a repair partin cars differing greatly in construction and that it Will mostefficiently and effectively withstand the severe shocks and strains towhich the body bolsters of railway hopper, cars are ordinarilysubjected.

What I claim is:

l. A composite body bolster adapted for use beneath an inclined floor ofa railway hopper car, said bolster including vertical plates adapted torespectively extend from opposite sides of the center sill of the car tothe adjacent sides of the car, and a cast metal member rigidlyconnecting said plates, said member being provided with a centrallydisposed strut adapted to be interposed between the center sill and theinclined floor of the car for supporting the latter and with portionsprojecting laterally of the strut respectively secured to said plates,said strut having substantially vertical laterally spaced wallsextending longitudinally of the car and a base portion integrallyconnecting said walls projecting on opposite sides of said platesadapted to be overlappingly secured to the top of the center sill.

2. A composite body bolster adapted for use beneath an inclined floor ofa railway hopper car,

said bolster including vertical plates adapted to respectively extendfrom opposite sides of the center sill of the car to adjacent the sidesof the car and having flanged inner ends, and a cast metal memberrigidly connecting said plates, said member having portions respectivelyadapted to extend toward the sides of the car secured to said plates andalso having a centrally disposed strut interposed between the inner endsofsaid plates for supportingly cooperating with said inclined floor,said strut having spaced walls respectively secured to said flanges ofthe plates and a base portion integrally connecting said wallsprojecting on opposite sides, of said plates adapted to be overlappinglysecured to the top of the center sill.

3. A composite body bolster adapted for use beneath an inclined floorof-a railway hopper car, said bolster including vertical plates adaptedto respectively extend from opposite sides of the center sill of the carto adjacent the sides of the car and having flanged inner ends,andacastmetal member rigidly connecting said plates, said member comprising acentrally disposed strut adapted to be interposed between the centersill and said inclined floor for supporting the latter, an inclined topflange adapted to be secured to the floor and portions projectinglaterally from the strut respectively secured to said sheets, said struthaving side walls extending longitudinally of the car respectivelysecured to the flanges on the inner ends of said plates and also havinga base portion integrally connecting said walls projecting on oppositesides of said plates adapted to be overlappingly secured to the top ofthe center sill.

4. A composite body bolster adapted for use beneath an inclined floor ofa railway hopper car, said bolster including substantially verticalplates adapted to be respectively disposed on opposite sides of thecenter sill of the car, each of said plates being provided adjacent itsinner end with flanged portions respectively adapted to be secured tothe adjacent side of the center sill and to extend upwardly above thecenter sill, and a cast metal member rigidly connecting said plates,said member comprising a web portion secured to corresponding facesof'said plates and a strut projecting from one side of said web adjacentthe central portion thereof, said strut having spaced walls respectivelysecured to the flanged portions of said plates extending above thecenter sill and a base portion integrally connecting said walls adaptedto be overlappingly secured to the top of the center sill.

5. A composite body bolster adapted for use beneath an inclined floor ofa railway hopper car, said bolster including substantially verticalplate members respectively extending from the sides of the car to thecenter sill, side bearing wear' plates respectively secured to saidplate members, and a cast metal member provided with a centrallydisposed strut adapted to be interposed between the center sill of thecar and the inclined floor and with a web overlappingly secured to saidplate members projecting on opposite sides of said strut to points insubstantial vertical alignment with said side bearing wear plates, andreinforcing means secured to said plate members respectively connectingsaid side bearing wear plates to the adjacent ends of said web, saidstrut having spaced Walls respectively secured to the inner ends of saidplate members and also having a base portion adapted to be secured inoverlapping relation to the top of the center sill.

6. In a railway hopper car, the combination with an inclined floor ofthe car and the center sill, of a composite body bolster includingsubstantially vertical plate members respectively disposed on oppositesides of the center sill and provided with side bearing wear plates, acast metal member disposed above the center sill rigidly connecting saidplate members and having vertically spaced portions respectively securedto the inclined floor and to the top of the center sill, said cast metalmember being provided with portions respectively projecting beyond thesides of the center sill secured to said plate members, andsubstantially vertical reinforcing members extending upwardly fromadjacent said side bearing wear plates on opposite sides of each of theplate members, the upper end of at least one reinforcing member, of eachplate member being rigidly secured to the adjacent end of the cast metalmember.

WILLIAM E. WINE.

